Retired Teacher Goes on Trial in Wife's Cliff Push

Charles and Lisa Black moved to Maine after careers as teachers in Kansas, pursuing an idyllic retirement that prosecutors say was destroyed by arguments over money and infidelity before both plummeted off a cliff.

Prosecutors say 71-year-old Charles Black hit his wife on the head with a rock before pushing her off the 800-foot Maiden Cliff in April 2011 in in Camden Hills State Park. Lisa Black, 55, says she believed Charles was chasing her when he, too, tumbled down the mountain, according to a police report.

His trial is set to begin Monday in Rockland with jury selection.

Law enforcement officials have said Lisa Black received a $4 million inheritance from her father, and she and Charles Black had a dispute over how he spent some of the money without her permission. Lisa has also accused Charles Black of having an online affair.

Charles Black now lives in Salt Lake City and faces numerous charges, including attempted murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The prosecution has also asked the court for permission to introduce evidence that he had earlier tried to poison Lisa Black.

Knox County Sheriff’s Office via AP file

Charles Black is accused of pushing his then-wife Lisa off Maiden Cliff in Maine's Camden Hills State Park in April 2011, in an attempt to kill her and claim a $4 million inheritance. He is charged with trying to kill her by hitting her in the head with a rock before pushing her off the cliff. Lisa Black survived after falling a short distance and sought help. Jury selection for Charles Black's trial is scheduled to begin Monday, July 14, 2014 in Rockland.